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The Worst to Best Foods You Could Feed

By Dr. Karen Shaw Becker, DVM, NMD

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A raw food diet is a balanced, nutritionally complete, unadulterated food for pets.

To understand why to feed a raw food diet one must understand dog and cat physiology.

Genotype vs. phenotype

Breeding has created very unique pet shapes and colors (phenotype) just as the human race has diversified over thousands of years to have unique colors and features. In 1993, The International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature re-classified dogs as Canis lupis (lattin for “wolf”). Why were they listed as one species? Because the domestic dog and the wild wolf are genetically identical. They can interbreed, their organs and physiologic responses are identical and their nutritional requirements are identical. Their big difference? Appearance. What does that tell you about nutrition? LOTS. Ever see wolves, coyotes or lions grazing on corn and wheat? How about cooking their catch over a nice hot fire or removing the bone, fur and organs from their meal?

Dr. Francis Pottenger, MD, conducted a scientific study on feline nutrition from 1932-42. Dr. Pottenger fed a group of cats a raw food diet and another group of cats a cooked food diet. He then watched the results over several generations. The details of the study are fascinating, but the end results of the study are as follows: by the third generation the cats consuming cooked foods suffered from documented allergies, behavior problems, parasites, musculoskeletal problems, organ diseases and immune problems. Sound familiar? Several of the cats were unable to reproduce by the third generation. When these nutritionally compromised animals were put on a raw food diet it took FOUR generations for the inherited problems to resolve! Return to health occurred, but very slowly.

Dogs and cats have consumed raw foods for thousands of years. Some cats and dogs still mouse or hunt today, but the majority of our pets have been raised on lifeless, processed food for the last 6-10 generations. Evolution, or the body’s ability to adapt, can and does occur; but it takes longer than 80 years for it to happen. Since commercial pet foods entered the market our pets have not genetically adapted to the diet, which is very different from the diet they evolved to eat. To argue whether dogs and cats can eat raw food is moot; they have been doing it for thousands of years. They are designed to efficiently and healthfully thrive on living foods. There is no scientific evidence that our pets’ gastrointestinal (GI) tracts have changed or become less resistant over time. There are plenty of comparative anatomical studies demonstrating the biologic parallels of big cats to little cats, dogs to wolves. Painful as it sounds, our pets are still designed to tear, rip, swallow and digest raw flesh. We voluntarily picked predators as companions and must accept them as such! Trying to convert herbivores to carnivores or vice versa is best left to Mother Nature and Father Time; they do a much better job. Feeding your pet incorrectly because you don’t agree with the food source is not fair to the pet. Knowing what each specie’s nutritional requirements are before buying the pet is imperative. Some of us may decide to house rabbits after this lecture, just don’t try to convert them to a meat diet!

Home-prepared diets can be the most or the least nutritious foods you could offer your pet. If the diet is unbalanced it will foster potentially life threatening nutritional deficiencies. If it’s balanced it will add years of healthy living to your pet’s life. I believe no one diet is perfect for every pet. Many pets have unique physiologic needs that a diet should address. Some pets just do better consuming certain foods. Some animals cannot tolerate certain foods. The process of finding out what foods your pet likes and dislikes is part of the process. You can consider the process a burden or an adventure.

Components of a raw diet

1. Meat

Beef, lamb, fish, poultry. Some people hunt and provide deer, elk, rabbit, pheasant, etc. The “meat” category also includes a small amount of organs (heart, kidney, liver). Organ meats are nutrient dense and are not needed in high quantities. Muscle meats make up about 10-20 % of the diet for both dogs and cats.

I include eggs in this category because eggs are protein. Eggs can be fed 2-3 times/week. I do not recommend feeding raw salmon because it can contain toxins that are poisonous. Many people feed canned tuna, salmon or mackerel. Freezing fish will kill the parasites but not the toxins in bacteria. Feeding organic/free range meats are best but not required. Pets will derive more nutrition out of organic meats but regular meats still provide enough sound nutrition to be beneficial.

Meat can be fed ground or in chunks. If the meat is ground it may contain more fat. Fat is good for our pets, but it’s important to know how much fat you are feeding. Some pets require more fat; some pets require and need less. If your pet picks out the meat and leaves the veggies, a portion of the meat should be ground and used to mix in the other “less desirable” parts of the diet (i.e. veggies).

This is normally where people ask about Salmonella and E. coli. Many potentially pathogenic (bad) bacteria can be found in the GI tracts of healthy carnivores. Salmonella and E. coli are also found by the millions in normal feces. Why people get concerned over their pets eating raw meat and not get concerned over their pets eating mouthfuls of poop is very strange. Our pets are designed to clean themselves everywhere, they can eat poop and be healthy, they can bury bones and dig them up years later to enjoy without a bacteria problem, without fatal Salmonella poisoning. Why? They were designed to handle bacteria. We were not. There are HUGE physiological differences between our pets and us.

If your pet is sick, I mean really sick and it makes you feel better, you can do a meat wash by adding grapefruit seed extract (10 drops to a sink of water, soak meat 5 minutes). The only time I suggest my patients start off cleaning or lightly cooking meats is if the patient has severe intestinal flora problems due to chronic end stage IBD or intestinal surgery. I can count the number of times I have recommended altering meat and honestly have never had a problem with giving raw meat to my average patients (which means chronically ill/terminal). I have read reports of dogs getting sick while on raw food diets but I have not seen reports demonstrating the food caused the disease.

2. Bones

Think back about what you have been taught about pets. The roots of many of our thoughts about what to do and not do with pets come from what we were taught as children. In my family, we only had male dogs. I wasn’t sure why we couldn’t have females but there were definite, mysterious reasons. We couldn’t have dogs and cats at the same time because they would give each other worms. Cats should have milk everyday and then vomit every night for unknown reasons. Cats should be given away when someone becomes pregnant. Neutering dogs makes them sissies. Revaccinate yearly and sometimes during the year if the pet contacts a sick animal. All pets should eat hard foods because it cleans their teeth. Keep the food bowl full all day; they’ll eat when they want to. Never feed bones; they splinter and kill your dog. This is what I went off to college not only thinking but whole-heartedly believing.

In vet school some of these myths were corrected, but what about the people who don’t go to vet school? They go on believing what they were taught as kids. It is true that cooking bones changes their structure, making them hard and potentially dangerous instead of pliable and nutritious. It’s true, people learned the hard way about feeding hollow, brittle poultry bones to pets…they can be fatal, because they’re COOKED. Bones not only lose nutritional value when they are cooked but they become brittle and sharp when broken. Dogs and cats were designed to eat bones in their unaltered state and have been consuming them successfully for thousands of years, until we tried sanitizing them with heat, which had dire consequences.

There are two types of bones; fun bones and required bones. Cats only use the required bones because they prefer other types of fun. Fun bones are large beef knuckle bones (marrow bones) that can sometimes occupy a day’s time to thoroughly clean (listen up, all those people with separation anxiety dogs!). The three warnings about fun marrow bones:

• They raise havoc with white carpeting. Until the marrow is gone and the pieces of meat are chewed off they can be quite goopy on the outside. Put a towel under your pet, offer bones in a crate, outside or on easily cleanable surfaces.
• Raw beef bones with lots of marrow are rich. Once your dog has had them several times their GI tract will become accustomed to the food source and stools will be fine. Initially, if your dog is prone to loose stools, offer bones for 15-minute intervals several times a day before letting him or her work on the bone for several hours.
• The first several times you offer raw meaty bones your dog will consider it a one-time-only divine gift and may continue to chew even when their mouth or jaws are sore. Once your pet realizes bones will be provided consistently most dogs begin to slow down and enjoy the activity. Until that time, watch lips for blisters and sores.

Animals that have had their teeth capped should not chew marrow bones. The synthetic caps are not as resilient as original enamel.

Fun bones are often labeled as soup bones in the meat section of the grocery store. They should be big enough that the dog cannot swallow them. Offer marrow bones 1-2 times weekly. Dogs can chew on the bones after all the marrow and bits of beef are gone, but throw old bones away. Dried knuckle bones can become very brittle.

Bone is also required for nutrition. Most people use poultry bones (wings, back and necks) although other types of bone can be used (lamb bones, ox tails). I do not feed raw rabbit or pork. Many people feed these meats but on very rare occasions they can contain parasites that can be harmful to pets. Chicken necks are a good place to start for small dogs and cats. Medium to large dogs can start with turkey necks. For healthy dogs, bony meats make up about 50-60% of the diet. For cats, it usually constitutes 70-80% of the diet (including the fat on the meat).

Chicken and turkey necks? “They’re so big for my pet to eat!” people say. It’s true most raw meats are not in bite-sized portions and for good reason. First, it prevents your pet from swallowing it whole. Big foods mean the pet must chew proportionate pieces off which also provides all the dental scaling your pet will ever need (and without anesthesia). Most dogs will try to swallow small bony foods whole. Holding a corner or the edge of the meat and letting your pet chew off pieces is one way of preventing wings from going down whole. Offering bigger pieces of meat is another way to prevent that. If dogs do swallow pieces that are too big most often they regurgitate the piece and try again. Let them do this. If bony foods frighten you or if your pet is missing numerous teeth, you can have the local butcher grind whole poultry for you or buy a grinder yourself. Many cats need the meat ground when starting the raw food diet. The down side to ground bone; no natural toothbrush action.

Raw food diets must contain bone. Without bone the diet will be significantly unbalanced and will lead to dis-ease. Raw bone provides adequate calcium, phosphorus and trace minerals as well as amino acids and enzymes.

3. Raw vegetables

Cats do not require vegetables but most cats benefit from the fiber a few veggies provide. Some cats eat grasses (or house plants) for supplemental roughage and enzymes and many people note improved digestion by offering wheat grass to their indoor cats. Dogs do require more veggies and fiber than cats. Veggies constitute 20-30% of the diet for dogs and 5-15% of the diet for cats. All types of veggies can be included but here is the list of the more common veggies included in most home prepared and commercial raw food diets:

Zucchini, pumpkin, squash, dark leaf lettuces, peas, broccoli, cabbage, celery, asparagus, yam, sweet potato, carrot, turnip, parsley

Can you add to the list? Sure. The important thing to keep in mind is VARIETY. Feed veggies that are in season. Feed veggies that are on sale. Feed the parts of veggies you don’t like or the day-too-old veggies. Feed several different types of veggies together. Rotate veggies frequently.

There has been much debate about exactly what each vegetable has to offer, and about why to or why not to feed certain veggies. They all have different nutritional merits and weaknesses. Feeding excessive spinach and chard can interfere with calcium absorption. Does that make them “bad” veggies? Absolutely not, just feed them in moderation. Cruciferous veggies (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, kale) can block the absorption of thyroid hormone. Are they bad? Far from it; they are the best choice for preventing cancer. Members of the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes and peppers) have been known to aggravate some types of arthritis. Does this mean older dogs cannot eat these? No, just be smart about it. What did your mother tell you? Eat a little of everything (even some of things you don’t like). Above ground veggies tend to increase urinary pH so don’t go over board with these veggies. Veggies would naturally be found in prey’s GI tracts and would come predigested or loaded with the prey’s digestive enzymes and be found in relatively small quantities.

The form in which to offer veggies is dependent on how well your pets break down and utilize them. Most carnivores cannot thoroughly break down plant cell walls. You’ll be able to tell how effective your pet is processing veggies by watching the stool. I recommend pulping veggies in the food processor to start. Some pets can be fed veggies coarsely chopped (with no identifiable pieces in the stool) and some pets need them minced or diced. Organic vegetables can contain up to twice the utilizable vitamins and minerals as regular veggies. They are better, but not required. Fresh vegetables are always best. I strongly recommend starting with fresh, then freezing (so you know how long they’ve been frozen). Commercially prepared frozen vegetables can be used. I do not recommend feeding solely canned vegetables.

Do not feed sprouted potato skins to dogs. The solanine is toxic. Do not feed onions to dogs or cats as it causes hemolytic anemia. Although garlic is in the same family, pets can ingest small amounts of garlic and reap huge benefits. Garlic is naturally anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Garlic, in small amounts, is a wonderful addition to your pet’s diet. Fresh garlic should always be used, giving cats and small dogs ¼ to ½ clove/day, medium dogs a ½ to 1 clove daily and big dogs 1–1½ cloves daily. Onion, a relative of garlic, produces anemia in pets and should not be fed.

*Additional info for vets: Onion toxicity is caused by the metabolite alkaloid n-propyl disulphide which inhibits normal enzyme activity in red blood cells and causes them to denature, producing Heinz body anemia. Garlic is metabolized to allyl propyl disulfide, which does not inhibit red blood cell enzyme activity unless consumed in massive quantities(4).

Other herbs to consider adding: ginger is a terrific warming herb, improving digestion and providing anti-inflammatory effects. Oregano is also very medicinal, terrific in reducing yeast and harmful bacteria in the body. Decaffeinated herbal teas are wonderful for pets, if they’ll drink them. Offer tea at room temperature or slightly warm in a separate bowl. You can leave herbal teas down for pets to drink at their leisure.

4. Other foods

Nuts and seeds are in this category. Raw unsalted nuts and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, almonds, etc.) are a good source of some trace minerals, vitamins and healthy fats. Lots of folks use nuts as training treats or sprinkle sesame seeds over dinner for an added bonus. Fruits can be offered in small quantities. Fruits can disrupt the GI tract causing an overgrowth of yeast and diarrhea if fed in large amounts.

5. Supplements

Supplements are needed because although a homemade raw diet is superior to a processed, inorganic, dead diet, it’s still not perfect. Wild carnivores have substantially more options for food combinations than we can offer our pets. The foods we offer our pets have been grown in nutrient deficient soil and/or in artificial environments, which leads to less than optimal nutrition (read Empty Harvest by Mark Anderson for a wake-up call). What does this mean? The addition of small amounts of certain food extracts can benefit our pets. The list of what should be added depends on each pet’s environment, age, breed and health status. More is not always better. You can over-do supplements. You can over-do almost anything.

Omega fatty acids

Fatty acids are vital for healthy pets and are necessary for many bodily functions, including normal reproductive function and healthy skin and coat. There is mounting evidence that essential fatty acids play a significant role in mediating and regulating inflammatory and immunologic responses within the body as well. Dogs and cats have strict dietary requirements for certain fatty acids that cannot be synthesized by the body and are therefore called essential, as they must come from the food. Essential fatty acids are very sensitive to heat and light and can become inactivated quickly. Omega 6 and 3 fatty acids derive their names from their chemical composition (where the first double hydrocarbon is in the structure). Pets require both omega 3 (alpha-linolenic) and omega 6 (linoleic) acids. Omega 6 fatty acids can be converted to arachidonic acid in the dog, but not in the cat.

A lack of omega 6 fatty acids will result in poor development and failure to gain weight, decreased immune function, liver and kidney degeneration, behavioral disturbances, poor wound healing, miscarriages, male sterility, hair loss and scaly dermatitis. The omega 6 fatty acids are also required for maintenance of the skin’s permeability barrier: arachidonic acid regulates epidermal proliferation (skin regeneration rate). If there is a shortage of omega 6 fatty acids, animals develop dry, flaky skin and a dull, dry coat (which leads to hair breakage and loss). The normal lipid film on the skin is not maintained and the skin is prone to secondary bacterial infections and itchiness. There is also hyperkeratosis (thickened skin) due to arachidonic acid depletion.

The omega 6 fatty acids are found in plant oils such as flaxseed, hemp, pumpkin, borage or primrose oil. Supplementing pets with omega 6 fatty acids will benefit the skin, coat and nails and are often helpful with allergic pets. Contrary to popular belief, not all fats make pets fat. The “good” fats (omegas) enhance energy production so less fat is deposited.

Cell membranes (the cell wall) consists of two layers of phospholipids that are derived from omega 3 fatty acids. The omega 3 fatty acids allow for the production of eicosanoids (i.e. prostaglandins and leukotrienes) which are compounds that regulate inflammation, immune-reactivity and platelet aggregation. The omega 3 fatty acids are currently being researched for their potential beneficial roles in cancer, auto-immune disease, allergies and some skin conditions. Omega 3 deficiency results in stunted growth, vision impairment, motor incoordination, muscle weakness and immune dysfunction.

Omega 3 fatty acids are found in the highest quantities in fish body oils. If you feed whole fish 3 times weekly additional fish body oils do not need to be added. If you don’t feed fish then add fish body oils, such as tuna or salmon oil. Cod liver oil contains some omega fatty acids but is also high in vitamins A and D which are critical for a healthy cardiovascular, skeletal and immune system but also toxic in high levels. Omega 3’s are essential, but can be over supplemented.

Enzymes

Enzymes are protein catalysts, or specific substances that allow biologic processes to occur in the body. These tiny proteins are vital for most metabolic processes and assist in the majority of bodily functions. Life cannot exist without them. There are thousands of enzymes produced in our pet’s bodies and it would be impossible to name them all, but enzymes can generally be categorized as digestive or metabolic. Metabolic enzymes catalyze chemical reactions that assist with energy production and detoxification. They are found in the blood, organs and tissues and help maintain the body. Digestive enzymes are produced in the pancreas and found in the gastrointestinal tract. They break down food so nutrients can be absorbed into the bloodstream.

As we’ll learn, the carnivorous pancreas cannot supply all of the enzymes necessary for complete digestion. Although the raw diet is as close to a natural diet as most of us want to go (no rabbit pens behind the garage), we don’t feed our pets whole prey. We exclude the parts that are simply too vile to think about, including the preys’ GI tract. What we would choose to feed out pets and what our pets would choose as food are usually two different things. I draw the line at entrails. Am I denying my pets enzymes and beneficial flora? Yes, and I don’t care. Guts are too gross. I do try to make up what is lost by providing enzymes in the diet. Raw food naturally contains enzymes that may be sufficient for your pet. If your pet exhibits signs of enzyme deficiency, supply a broad-spectrum digestive enzyme tablet or powder; ¼ human dose for small dogs/cats daily, ½ human dose for medium dogs daily and a human dose for big dogs once daily.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant which scavenges free radicals, promotes rapid healing, improves joint fluid production is a natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory. The beneficial effects have been documented throughout the last century. Dogs and cats can produce some vitamin C but many pets benefit from additional vitamin C. Vitamin C is naturally acidic (ascorbic acid) but non-acidic forms (Ester-C© or calcium ascorbate) have become popular for people with sensitive stomachs. I prefer the old fashioned ascorbic acid unless a buffered form is needed for certain medical conditions. The amount of vitamin C each pet requires is based on each pet’s environment. Vitamin C is water-soluble so excesses will be passed in the stool (making it loose) and is a sign you’re giving too much. A good way to tell if your pet needs C is to offer some in the food. How’s the stool? Good? Great, they absorbed it (which means the body needed it) so continue supplying it.

Super green foods

Super green foods are foods high in chlorophyll (and therefore antioxidants, trace minerals and vitamins). Examples are kelp, alfalfa, spirulina, barley grass and wheat grass. These are the “multivitamins” added to assure a bountiful supply of natural and absorbable nutrients. Not all of them need to be added at the same time and only small quantities are needed. Many people’s temptation is to include a multivitamin when starting the raw food diet. Remember, over supplementation is as damaging as under supplementation! Think of the super green foods as your multivitamin.

Quality of supplements

Some supplements are the same, no matter where you buy them or what brand you buy. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) for instance, is the same no matter if you buy it at the grocery store, off the Internet or at a fancy health food store, so buy the cheapest C you can find (the label should just read Ascorbic acid with or without bioflavonoids). On the other hand, essential fatty acids are not created equally. Omega fatty acids are delicate, sensitive to heat and light. Processing, shipping and storage must be done carefully or the oils can become rancid and harmful. The best fatty acid supplements are cold-pressed, tightly sealed in dark/opaque containers and kept in the refrigerator section of the store. They also should have an expiration date on the bottle.